Put the Title of the Webquest Here

Developed by Nick Ames

· The lesson is about planning the perfect day. It involves making a schedule and cooperating with the other students. Time and Direction are the main points in the lesson but also cooperation and teamwork are important. Also, teaching how to use basic websites such as Mapquest and Cinemark.

· The content area is Life skills and some mathematics. It is considered to be early elementary but is directly related to special education.

· This webquest supports the life skills and math requirements for early elementary. It uses basic directions for life skills and concepts of time for the math requirement.

· The Benchmark is based upon Standard SOC II.3 (especially section EE.1) which deals with identifying locations of significance in their immediate environment and the reasons for their location.

· This Webquest uses websites like Yellow Pages and Mapquest as examples of pages you can use to find directions and duration. Another resource that is necessary is a facilitator that can help with special education students. Each step should be guided with questions for understanding with each of the students. Also, this may be beneficial if spaced out over a period of weeks or repeated multiple times for understanding. One of the main concepts that should be discussed is student cooperation. In Special Education, life skills are of great significance and cooperating with others with differing interests and opinions is highly important.

· Time to plan the perfect day! This webquest is intended to be a group activity that is located near their school; in this instance Jenison, Grandville, Hudsonville and coordinate their activities with classmates to fit all of them into the perfect day. The students need to consider time for travel and time to do each activity. Students will be able to use websites to estimate the time of travel and will be able to gain more understanding of how to use the basic websites. Most importantly, we all get to share our favorite things to do with each other.

· Examples of activities are sports, movies, video games, roller skating, shopping, dancing, eating at favorite restaurant,

Through the activity you get to share your ideas with classmates and gain a greater understanding for how long it takes for specific tasks and for drive time to these tasks. Through the Webquest you will obtain a greater understanding of directions. This is important because then you are able to be more self reliant and can help people who need directions. Hopefully, you will learn about some of the members in your class, maybe in the process finding common ground and making new friends.

Ø What is your favorite activity to do?

Ø Where would you do this activity?

Ø Is the activity in walking distance or are alternative forms of transportation necessary? How long does it take to do this activity?

Ø Can you do this activity with a group of people or just by yourself?

Ø How often do you do you’re activity?

Ø Are there any websites that can be used to find these places?

Ø How can Mapquest be used in other cases?

Ø Are there any other websites that you could use to find the same information as on the websites given?

Ø Are there alternative solutions to online sources for finding directions?

The basic idea is answer four basic questions

1. What is your favorite activity?

2. Where can you do this activity?

3. How long does it take to do my activity (including drive time)?

4. When does my activity fit into the plans of everybody else?

In order to answer questions two through four you need to work together. Each of you should share you idea but also help others. You may talk about places where you can do your favorite activity and how you can tell other members of the group in a creative way. Listen carefully to each other and give suggestions in how to improve the activity. Maybe suggest a better place to go to do the activity or a similar activity that is more reasonable.

Although you may not need to work in a group to figure out your activity, you will need to talk to the members of your group in order to fit everyone else's activity into the day's plan. Make a picture or list of each person's activity and where it is located, and then find the best order in which to do the activities. After the group has come to a consensus a final document should be made listing how long it will take you, in what order to do all of the activities and where each activity will take place.

Conflicting opinions is acceptable because that is an accurate depiction of the real world. Everybody's feelings are valid and their opinions are merely that, opinions. It is important to understand that there are no right and wrong answers to this activity. The only thing that is not allowed is arguing. You may share how you feel but I firmly believe in no put downs. Insults about activities are forbidden and not part of a productive classroom. We must always keep in mind that each person is different and there is nothing wrong with that. Most of the times, the different qualities in people are the qualities that we like the most. An example, I might not like to play instruments but I think it is amazing to hear other people play. It may not be my talent but I can certainly enjoy others. With the activities, many common things can be found.

Example: Although you might not like to play football but you may like to play sport video games.

Representation of Your favorite activities can be in a variety of forms

· Pictures drawn or printed of people doing activity

· Verbal

· Lists of what each person does

· Demonstrate or give clues that people can guess what your activity is

· Bring in item to show that has to do with activity (ex. bring in video game)

· Cut out a picture from a magazine (example- picture of basketball player)

http://www.mapquest.com - useful for directions and time of travel

http://www.cinemark.com - popular place to go and give time and length of movies

http://www.yellowpages.com - provides students with addresses that can be used in Mapquest.

http://www.google.com - Great search engine that can be used to search for activities in the area

http://www.ask.com - also great search engine that can be used

· Periodicals from the Media Center

· Printer

· Crayons, paper, colored pencils

· PowerPoint software to develop an informative slideshow

The grading is based upon effort and cooperation. Each person is expected to his or her best. Also, the ability to work together to solve the problem is highly important. It is based upon a complete incomplete scale, click here to view rubric.

All of the skills learned today are useful to everyday life. They help each person to be more efficient in planning his/her day and managing time. The websites used to gather the information are available to everybody who can access the Internet and are frequently used. Answer the following questions and reflect upon them with fellow classmates.

· Were you able to work together in order to come to a group consensus?

· What would be some other ways in which you could use Mapquest?

· Can you use Yellow Pages for other things? if so, For What?

· Which part of the activity did you have the most difficulty doing, picking the activity, finding out how long it would take, finding out where it could be done, or putting all of the activities together?

· How could the skills you gained from this activity be useful every day?

· Did you learn anything new about problem solving and group work?